Sambalpur: Sambalpur to Experience Zero Shadow Day Today; Shadows to Vanish at 11:52 AM

Sambalpur: Today is zero shadow day. On Tuesday at 11:52 a.m., there will be zero shadow. There are just two days per year when there is no shadow, even for a few minutes around noon. On this day of the year, the sun is directly overhead, casting no shadows. Astronomers called this phenomenon Zero Shadow Day. Zero shadow occurs twice a year: first from April to June and again from June to August. The APJ Abdul Kalam Planetarium reports that this year’s first zero shadow day will be on May 28 in Burla.

The Earth’s orbit is tilted by 23.5 degrees, but the sun remains in place and does not rise or fall in a single position. From March 21, the point of sunrise gradually moves northward and reaches its furthest north on June 21. From there, it begins to return to the south again, passing over the equator on September 21, and reaching the southernmost point, the Tropic of Capricorn, on December 21. From that day onwards, the movement of the sun towards the north begins again. As this process continues continuously, two days of zero shadow are observed every year.

This zero shadow phenomenon is visible without the use of any special equipment. Place some objects, such as pegs, bottles, boxes, or bricks, on a flat surface long enough to receive sunlight, and mark it soon before noon on the planned date (May 28). You can see that the object’s shadow gradually reduces to its full height before disappearing completely.